Tag: longhorns countdown

Countdown to Texas Football: Best to wear No. 75

As the countdown to Texas football continues, we remember the best Longhorn to wear number 75. Octavious Bishop and Junior Angilau.

Longhorns Wire is continuing the series of jersey numbers to match the days until the Texas kicks off the season. On Thursday we find ourselves remembering number 75.

Octavious Bishop, Offensive Tackle (1995-98)

During the years of Ricky Williams setting records, one of the key blockers in front of him was Octavious Bishop. He was the starting left tackle for three years in Austin. While blocking up front, it allowed Williams to run for 1,893 yards and 25 touchdowns in 1997. He would follow that up with 2,124 yards and 27 touchdowns in 1998.

Bishop was part of the final Southwest Conference Championship team in 1995 and the very first Big 12 Championship team in 1996. Despite the fact that he was able to pave the way for Williams, 1997 was a forgettable season for the Longhorns as they fell to 4-7 that season and John Mackovic was replaced by Mack Brown.

In his final season with Texas, Bishop and the Longhorns rebounded with a 9-3 season in 1998. The team would fail to capture the Big 12 South Division and return to the Big 12 Title game. They would play in the Cotton Bowl and defeat Mississippi State 38-11.

Bishop would move on to the NFL but after failed attempts in the NFL and NFL Europe,  he tried his luck with the XFL before it folded. Bishop would return to his alma mater in 2016 in a support staff role for Charlie Strong. It lasted only a year. Bishop is currently a Family Pastor at LifeAustin and an Associate Professor at Austin Community College.

Junior Angilau, Offensive Line (2018-Present)

Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports

In 2018, Junior Angilau redshirted his freshman season. In 2019 as a redshirt freshman, Angilau played and started 12 games at right guard between current center Derek Kerstetter and former center Zach Shackelford. Angilau should maintain his role as a starter in 2020 as they shuffle the line.

Along with Sam Cosmi, Kerstetter, Tope Imade and Denzel Okafor they should make up the starting five. Angilau is looking to keep his quarterback upright while creating holes for their three-headed rushing attack. Angilau should only improve in 2020.

Countdown to Texas Football: Best to wear No. 76

Continuing the countdown to the Texas Longhorns 2020 kickoff, we remember the best to wear number 76 for the Texas Longhorns.

Longhorns Wire is continuing the series of jersey numbers to match the days until the Texas kicks off the season. On Thursday we find ourselves remembering number 76. Currently Reese Moore wears number 76.

Jerald Grant “Jerry” Sisemore, Offensive Tackle (1970-72)

Sisemore joined the Longhorns in 1970. That year the team extended their winning streak to 30 games. That is the 12th longest win streak in NCAA history. The team finished the year unscathed until the final game of the year. The win streak started on October 5, 1968 and ended in 1970 when the Longhorns met the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the Cotton Bowl. The Longhorns were coming off a consensus National Championship in 1969. Despite their lone loss, the coaches poll still named them National Champions in 1970.

Sisemore would be named Consensus All-American in 1971-72. Both seasons he would also be named All-Southwest Conference and helped Texas win the Southwest Conference all three seasons. Each year they would play in the Cotton Bowl. In his final collegiate game they defeated the number four ranked Alabama Crimson Tide.

Sisemore would go on to play in the NFL for the Philadelphia Eagles. He would only play in Philadelphia for the duration of his 12-year NFL career. Sisemore was the third overall selection in the 1973 NFL Draft. He would eventually play in the Super Bowl XV.

Accomplishments:

  • Two-time Unanimous All-American (1972-73)
  • Two-time All-Southwest Conference (1972-73)
  • 1972 Co-Captain
  • 1970’s SWC and Cotton Bowl All-Decade Team
  • 1973 NFL Draft first round selection
  • 12-year NFL career
  • Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame
  • Texas Hall of Honor inductee in 1980
  • College Football Hall of Fame inductee in 2002

Countdown to Texas Football: Best to wear No. 79

The countdown to the season continues with 79. The best to wear the number was Terry Tausch who played for Texas from 1978-81.

Longhorns Wire is continuing the series of jersey numbers to match the days until the Texas  kicks off the season. On Thursday we find ourselves remembering number 79. Continue reading “Countdown to Texas Football: Best to wear No. 79”

Countdown to Texas Football: Best to wear No. 80

The countdown to Texas football continues as Longhorns Wire remembers the best to wear number 80.

Longhorns Wire is continuing the series of jersey numbers to match the days until the Texas  kicks off the season. On Tuesday we find ourselves remembering number 80. Continue reading “Countdown to Texas Football: Best to wear No. 80”

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Countdown to Texas Football: Best to wear No. 87

In the most recent countdown to Texas football, we remember the number 87. Lawrence Sampleton and Hub Bechtol.

The countdown continues as kickoff to the season gets closer. We are now 87 days until college football officially gets underway. It will be the first sense of normalcy that fans and media alike will have ever since sports was shut down on March 12th. Check out our most recent countdowns with numbers 88 and 89.

Currently no Longhorn wears the number 87 but there were a couple memorable players who did. The more recent was Lawrence Sampleton who was drafted in the second round of the 1982 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. He also spent time with the Dolphins before hanging up his cleats.

Sampleton first played for Texas in 1978 where he appeared in four games catching eight passes for 196 yards and one touchdown. Overall he appeared in 36 games in his Longhorns career. He finished with 57 receptions for 1,071 yards and seven touchdowns.

The biggest name to wear 87 has to be Hub Bechtol, who was enshrined into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1991. Prior to playing for Texas, Bechtol actually started his playing career at Texas Tech in 1943, he transferred to Texas in 1944. He would be named All-American in each year as a Longhorn. He became the first Southwest Conference player to become a three time All-American.

Bechtol played three seasons in the NFL for the Baltimore Colts from 1947-49. He only caught 19 passes in 38 games before giving up football to pursue a career in realty. In 1976 he was named Texas Realtor of the Year according to the Football Foundation. Hub “Big Boy” Bechtol passed away in October of 2004.